


Dragon Curse And Dragon Love

by EdinaSaunders



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-30 11:40:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11462844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EdinaSaunders/pseuds/EdinaSaunders
Summary: What happens when Regina is cursed to become a dragon? Can she learn to cope with it, or will she be able to break it?





	Dragon Curse And Dragon Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MightyMouse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MightyMouse/gifts).



> Here's your request @Mightymouse
> 
> I hope you enjoy it. Sorry it took so long, but always feel free to request again! :)

There were so very few dragons left in the world. Regina loved the moments she was able to spot one flying in the night sky. One in particular she saw often. A purple one. Sometimes it flew right by, but other times it would perform tricks in the moonlight, as if putting on a show just for her. It was one of the little happinesses she had in life.

  
Her other happiness was Daniel, though it was getting harder and harder to keep seeing him in secret. She knew her mother wouldn't approve and there was no telling what she'd do if she found out. She thought of running away with him but Cora would only find them.

  
This is why she took solace in watching the purple dragon most nights. Being a dragon must give you all the freedom in the world. Of course, her mother didn't approve of her hobby, but that hardly stopped Regina from doing it. After a few reprimands Cora had pretty much let it go. She still wasn't happy about it, but she no longer spoke of it.

  
One night she met Daniel out in the stables to introduce him to this hobby of hers. She thought if she could combine the two things that made her the happiest maybe she'd get a taste of that freedom she craved. Daniel was more than happy to join her. It wasn't often they spent time together outside of Regina’s riding lessons.

  
Overall it had been a rather peaceful night. The dragon did no tricks for them, but Regina told Daniel to keep watch at night. When they parted, Regina snuck back into the house to go to bed. Neither of them knew that they had been watched.

  
It was not one set of eyes but two that had seen them. First, it had been the dragon. Seeing someone with Regina had caused it not to perform. The second set of eyes had been Cora’s. She had caught them. It was only a matter of time, really. Nothing got past her. She had seen the stable boy kiss her daughter before they left the stables. She knew that some way, she'd have to put an end to it.

  
It was two days after when Cora came up with the perfect way to separate the lovebirds. All she had to do was make the boy want to leave Regina, and what better way to do it, than to turn her into one of those dragons she loved so much. She'd be able to turn back, of course, but not for a while. Just long enough to scare lover boy off.

  
Her plan called for a curse. A curse she couldn't cast herself. Only Rumplestiltskin had the power for it. Naturally, she went to him in an instant. She laid out her conditions and much to her surprise he agreed to them. He'd turn Regina into a dragon long enough to scare the boy away. Simple as that. Except it was never as simple as that. It never was with Rumplestiltskin, and Cora should have known that.

  
She had been too focused on getting rid of the stable boy to see past her goal and make sure Rumple didn't put in a twist of his own. He did. He made it so the curse could only be broken by love. Therefore, if the curse caused Regina to lose her love, she'd have to love again before it was broken. She could, however, change between her dragon form and her human form if she figured out how. She wouldn't completely lose her dragon form unless she received true love’s kiss. The possibilities were endless and that's what Rumple loved about it.

  
The curse was cast and Regina would change by nightfall. Cora hoped it would happen when she went to meet that stable boy again. If she changed in front of him, that would be more than enough to make him run off. Then Regina could get back to normal, and it would all just be like a bad dream.

  
Not everything always went according to Cora’s plan though. Regina did change. Her stable boy didn't see the change, but he saw her after. The menacing, red dragon she had become had caused him to run. Cora hoped he wouldn't return. He didn't, and Regina’s heart broke. Cora had won, but her daughter had not yet turned back.

  
It hadn't been for lack of trying that Regina hadn't come out of her dragon form since the change. She had tried so hard to change and go after Daniel that first night. She couldn't. She didn't know how.

  
Cora was furious with Rumple. It had to be his doing that hadn't let Regina change back. There was simply no other explanation. So, she went back to him. “Rumplestiltskin, change her back.” Cora came in shouting demands. Of course, none of this phased Rumple. He didn't even blink when Cora got in his face.

  
“I can't change her back, dearie.”

  
“Then do something,” Cora hissed.

  
“She can change back on her own. It won't get rid of the dragon part of her, but she can change.”

  
“Teach her.” Cora pulled out Rumple’s dagger and held it to his throat.

  
“How did you get that?”

  
“None of your concern, just teach her how to change back.”

  
Now he couldn't refuse. “Fine.”

  
After Cora left him, he went to see Regina. Her dragon form was smaller than he had imagined, but she wasn't very tall as a person, so maybe that had something to do with it. He was careful to wake her, but he had to. He talked her through how to change back, and though she couldn't respond, she seemed to understand.

  
That night she devoted herself to focusing on changing back. Rumple had told her it would take a lot of energy and concentration. She knew she was strong enough to do it. It was a full moon that night, and she saw her purple dragon fly overhead. That drove her to work even harder to change back. She thought she wanted to be a dragon, but it wasn't like she had expected it to be.

  
Morning light coming through a window woke her. She opened her eyes and stretched her arm out in front of her. She had done it! She changed back, but where was she? It wasn't a place she recognized. She sat up. She was in a bed she didn't know, surrounded by things she'd never seen before, and she was scared. She didn't remember anything after seeing the purple dragon fly in front of the moon.

  
Regina jumped when a knock landed on the door to the room she was in. She didn't know whether to invite whoever it was in, or hide. She remained quiet, clutching the soft sheet to her body. The door opened and she tried to prepare herself for anything. When a tall blonde woman walked in, Regina became curious. She was sure she didn't know her, but she seemed so familiar.

  
She came closer. Dressed in a dark purple gown, her movements were graceful, reminding her of…the dragon. Was that why she was so familiar? “A-are you, my dragon,” Regina asked, her voice coming off soft and unsure. Then she realized the exact words she had used. “Not _my_ dragon. I didn't mean that. I-”

  
“I could be,” the other woman said, interrupting Regina. “Your dragon, that is. I could be. Those tricks I do in the sky, they're all for you. I see how much happiness they bring you.” She stopped. When she spoke again her tone turned darker. “I saw what happened when you changed. I'm sorry he didn't come back.”

  
Regina didn't know what to say. She had been watching out for her, trying to make her happy. It appeared she had also taken her in when she changed back. She was grateful to her, and she didn't even know her name. She really should have asked by now.

  
“Maleficent,” was her reply.

  
“I'm-”

  
“Regina. I know. I also know you were cursed to become a dragon. I was born this way. I can help you learn how to control it.”

  
Regina smiled. Maleficent hardly knew her and yet she was so kind. If Regina was going to have to live with this, she might as well know how to handle it. Now she had help.

  
Maleficent kept Regina hidden away in her castle for the most part. When they went out as dragons, Maleficent taught her to fly, to breathe fire, mostly as a means of protection and so much more. The hardest part was always changing back, but Regina got better. She learned, and it was all thanks to Maleficent.

  
She even understood Maleficent’s reasons for keeping her in the castle most of the time. Whoever had cursed her, they'd be looking for her. Maleficent put a shielding spell on her castle, protecting the both of them as best as she could.

  
Over time, Regina began to really care for Mal. She had even used the shortened version of her name to speak to her. Maleficent cared for Regina as well. She hoped she could protect her forever, but realistically she knew she couldn't. She was right.

  
One night, Maleficent went out alone. She didn't change into her dragon form, she just went outside for a walk after Regina had gone to sleep. That's when Rumplestiltskin appeared to her. “You know, dearie, you're well on your way to breaking her curse.”

  
“What,” Maleficent asked.

  
“Her curse. You're able to break it.”

  
“How?”

  
“How all curses are broken.” Then he was gone. Maleficent wandered about a bit more. He had to be speaking about true love's kiss. It could break all curses. It was the only she knew that could. She'd tell Regina in the morning.

  
“You mean I could be cured? I wouldn't be a dragon anymore?”

  
“That's right,” Mal said, not sure exactly what Regina thought about that.

  
“Wow. That's a lot to take in. I just learned how to be a dragon, now I might be able to go back to how I was. Can we still continue our lessons, just in case it doesn't work?”

  
“Of course, Regina. Whatever you want.”

  
So, the lessons continued. Regina was nearly as skilled as Maleficent now. The only thing that concerned Mal is that Regina hadn't done a thing to try and break her curse. She had to bring it up again.

  
“Regina, your curse. Don't you want to break it? We can set out and find your true love. Maybe it was Daniel, and if we find him we can help him understand.”

  
“No.”

  
“No? No, what?”

  
“It's not Daniel…and I don't want to break the curse.” The words rushed out of Regina so fast it made Mal’s head spin.

  
“Don't want to break the curse? But why?”

  
Regina opened her mouth to answer, but now the words wouldn't come. How could she even say what she was thinking? Mal waited patiently. She worried about Regina, and she wanted to know what led her to this decision. Regina sighed. Mal wasn't letting it go. She'd have to tell her.

  
“If I'm not a dragon anymore, then I won't have you.”

  
Mal put her hand on Regina’s shoulder and gave her a sympathetic smile. “You will. You'll always have me. Maybe you becoming a dragon brought us together, but losing the dragon in you won't make you lose me.”

  
“How do I know that? How do you know that?”

  
“Because I loved you far before you were a dragon.”

  
“You…loved me?”

  
“Yes. I never knew how to approach you. Then I learned you had Daniel. I wouldn't want to interfere. So, I didn't, and then you changed. After that I couldn't stay away.”

  
“I'm glad you didn't. I needed you. I still need you.”

  
“Then you'll have me. Rumplestiltskin told me I could break the curse. At first I didn't know what he meant. I thought he only meant that I could help you find your true love so you could break the curse yourself. Then I realized I was falling in love with you, but I didn't know you loved me until you told me that it wasn't Daniel.”

  
“Am I that obvious,” Regina asked timidly.

  
“Afraid so, dear,” Maleficent teased, propping Regina’s chin up with her fingertips. “Are you ready to break the curse?”

  
“Yes,” Regina said, her voice as soft as it was the first time they spoke. And so, Maleficent broke the curse.

**Author's Note:**

> I take requests! (Both on here and on Tumblr.) 
> 
>  
> 
> Tumblr: requests-imagines.tumblr.com


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